This unusual and interesting name is an English diminutive form of the medieval personal name "Ellis", which itself is the vernacular form of "Elijah", meaning "Jehovah is God". "Elijah" was the name of a biblical prophet, although its popularity among christians during the Middle Ages was mainly due to it being adopted by various early saints, such as a 7th Century bishop of Syracuse and a 9th Century, Spainish martyr "Ellis" or "Elis" generated a number of pet forms, such as "Helle and Elie" and these in turn produced diminutives for example "Elecocc" (1246, Lancashire) and "Elkoc Habraham" (1297, Yorkshire), leading to other forms such as "Hillcoat" and "Hellcat". Henry Hillcoat was married to Caroline Gordon at St. Anne's Soho, in September, 1785. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph Hellecoc (witness). which was dated 1202, in the Assize Rolls, Lincolnshire. during the reign of King John known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.